1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electricity and more particularly to radar transmitter applications. Still more particularly this invention relates to microwave power combining structures for use in solid state radar transmitter application. By way of further characterization this invention relates to computer aided tuning and optimization for maximum efficiency of such solid state microwave power combining structures. Even more particularly this invention relates to quasi real-time computer aided tuning and optimization of solid state microwave power combining structures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optimizing microwave power combining circuits has involved tedious, time consuming, expensive, trial and error "tweaking" to achieve optimum overall transmitter performance. For example, to optimally adjust a 16 port summing network using previous methods requires several days of a highly trained technician's time. Further, once optimum transmitter performance has been obtained using the trial and error method, little insight can be gained as to the ultimate achievable performance for a given transmitter design. More significantly, previous methods of transmitter optimization do not provide the designer with sufficient information to evaluate the individual performance of specific summing networks in the overall transmitter design. The designer cannot separately optimize the individual summing networks with their associated matching elements within the transmitter, but rather must through trial and error relate the overall cause and effect of each parameter change, thereby necessitating an expensive and time consuming operation.